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"Commercially available sea salts on the market today vary widely in their chemical composition. Although the principal component is sodium chloride, the remaining portion can range from less than 0.2 to 10% of other salts."
Two-tenths of a percent would seem to be likely. Table (sea) salt that is TEN PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF OTHER SALTS seems so unlikely, that I would ask for a reference. Maybe some low-sodium salt-blend with potassium-chloride would fit this. I can't imagine how something could be only %90 NaCl and still be called "Sea Salt". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 20:35, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
The referenced spec sheet contains NO INFORMATION regarding the preceding sentences. The entire paragraph should be stricken. It has no references and parts of it seem to contradict common sense. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 20:45, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
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There seems to be no reason to have this page. For one thing, sea salt is NOT sodium chloride (it contains sodium chloride). All of the information can be accomodated in the article salinity Marshman 00:40, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)
I agreed (in VFD -- disagreed with myself) that there would be value in keeping sea salt for this other information Marshman 07:03, 30 Jul 2003 (UTC)
I don't see the fuss about having a separate article on sea salt. It's a common item in supermarkets and it is useful to know about it's specific properties and which ones are facts rather than urban legends. -- Theorize ( talk) 06:03, 8 October 2008 (UTC)
Since sea salt is sometimes touted as a natural more healthy alternative to common table salt, it seems to me entirely appropriate to include a factual article about it. In my search to identify it's constituents, all the breakdowns I have seen are in terms of atomic composition as opposed to molecular composition. The latter would arguably be far more useful in determining any potential health benefits and in understanding the effect of sea salt on the human body. E.g, I believe one of sea salts molecular constituents is Magnesium Sulphate, a laxative. Emansnas ( talk) 05:57, 13 April 2009 (UTC)
I suggest this article is merged with the article " Edible salt". -- Eleassar777 11:56, 14 Mar 2005 (UTC)
There has also been a massive omission of Cayman Sea Salt.See caymanseasalt.com
I found this page by searching for "sea salt" in Wikipedia. So stop believing your suggestions are what's best for the readers. I never would have assumed to search for this information under "salinity", or even "edible salt", as Sea Salt is marketed and known by this name.
http://www2.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring02/001183excerpt.htm gets the whole cooking pasta issue wrong. You add salt after it boils, because salt water takes longer to boil, you add salt with the pasta, so that the saltiness cooks into the pasta, so that salt is more evenly distributed in the dish. So I don't trust the book entirely. Another important point here is that most salt used today is a bi-product of oil discovery and production, that's why salt is so cheap. mjolsnes Oct 2006
who knew so many people cared this much about salt?
The Taste section currently begins, "Its purported health benefits notwithstanding…". What purported health benefits are those? — mjb 04:10, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
"Its purported health benefits notwithstanding, gourmets believe sea salt to be superior to ordinary table salt."
This sentence references purported health benefits which are never discussed in the article.
I would be curious to see any info related to the impact of sea salt on hypertension as compared to regular salt's impact. There seems to be less Na per gram in sea salt, and Na is what is usually blamed for increasing blood pressure, but is there any evidence to say that sea salt is better for you? Tom Hubbard ( talk) 20:58, 22 January 2008 (UTC)
"According to The Mayo Clinic and Australian Professor Bruce Neal, the health consequences of ingesting sea salt or regular table salt are the same, as the content of sea salt is still mainly sodium chloride."
Does anybody else think this is one of the dumber statements on Wikipedia? That's like saying the health consequences of ingesting sea water or fresh water are the same, as the content of sea water is still mainly water. Or how about your latest pharmaceutical de jure is no better than a potato as its main ingredient is a starch bulking agent.
Cloudswrest (
talk)
19:04, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
May someone put this in the article? Although I'm not sure about the quality of this research:
"From the analysis carried out positive qualitative results (blue colour) were observed with all industrially iodated samples (which means they contain iodine), while sample H (the raw-pellet salt) did not show any iodine present. The raw-pellet salt (or sea salt, also called bay or solar salt) is produced from the evaporation of sea water which contains some small amount of iodine as iodide ion. It is likely that this form of iodine is lost during the evaporation process since iodide ion easily interconverts into molecular iodine (2I− ⇋ I2) which is highly volatile and sublimates under ordinary temperatures. This may account for the absence of iodine in the raw-pellet salt." [2] Mtlive ( talk) 19:41, 13 January 2019 (UTC)
References
Many consumer brands of sea salt are pure sodium chloride. It's just refined from seawater instead of rock salt. These brands sell a salt that tastes no different but has a different texture (usually coarser) than garden-variety "table salt". Buyers should check that what they're buying is unrefined seawater evaporate, if they really want the sea salt that doesn't taste like a purified chemical. That's what sodium chloride tastes like to me. 68.121.165.9 20:13, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
This raises a good point- what, exactly, is the "legal" definition of "sea salt". The reason I visited this page was to see what the FDA (or whomever) requires - Just like "organic" or "natural", these labels are getting harder to figure out! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.123.160.138 ( talk) 22:29, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
I have found no legal definition of sea salt, and my experience is that even reputable producers do not detail their product analysis, if they ever do one. There is little discussion of the metabolic or culinary effects of the ~15% by weight of 'other'
components of sea salt, and none about possible contaminants and organic matter (algy, diatoms, fungi, other microbes, and increasing pollutants) that must be in any sea water residue, and therefore certainly in at least some 'sea salt' labeled products.
Wikidity (
talk)
23:29, 7 May 2011 (UTC)
I'm a little concerned about this statement:
"However, unrefined sea salt contains many important minerals that regular iodized table salt does not contain."
Does it contain them in amounts that are significant to a person's health? If not, I think this assertion is somewhat misleading. I mean a Snickers bar contains important minerals too, but people don't really consider them especially healthy...
Forgot to sign! Actionsquid
okay well i gotta question does anyone know how it is transported? its homewrk that is the only reason im on this thing! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.238.114.153 ( talk) 21:59, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
Calcium and potassium are definitely important for health, but they're also easy to get from other sources. It'd be incorrect to say sea salt has no health benefit, but it'd be naive to think it's a significant one over, like, vitamin pills. —Preceding
unsigned comment added by
75.73.70.113 (
talk)
03:20, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
Magnesium is important to heart health, and it is the second most abundant electrolyte in sea salt. It is missing in refined salt. It is not easy to replace the 100's of milligrams of magnesium missing from a daily dose of refined salt. It would collectively cost Americans of the order of $10B annually for magnesium supplements.
Reliance on supplements to overcome dietary deficiencies of modern table salt is an expensive and non-standard approach to protecting our food supply. To avoid the need for iodine supplements, American law requires salt manufacturers to add iodine to their product. It compensates for deficiencies in salt processing. For thousands of years salt in food contained all the electrolytes in useful proportion, plus other minerals. If modern refining of salt removed some healthful components, the reasonable course of action would be to have them restored.
Also, the human body needs electrolytes in balance. It would not be surprising if the main dietary problem with salt today is that sodium ingestion without the proportional ingestion of magnesium, potassium and calcium creates electrolyte imbalances. Keeping the electrolytes in balance seems simplified by using a salt throughout the food industry that has these electrolytes in balance, though some research on this specific issue seems needed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.100.189.67 ( talk) 18:06, 11 September 2009 (UTC)
"Gourmets often believe sea salt to be better than ordinary table salt in taste and texture, though one cannot always taste the difference when dissolved." This sentence needs some rewording to sound less biased.
"However, unrefined sea salt contains many minerals that regular iodized table salt does not contain, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfate, and traces of others (including heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium, as well as strontium) citation needed." sounds really interesting. I would really like to know more about the possibility of heavy metals in sea salt, but I haven't been able to find anything conclusive with regular internet searches. Can someone contribute more information here? -- Theorize ( talk) 05:59, 8 October 2008 (UTC)
I found the page through a Google search on "Sea Salt" because I was curious about the potential for heavy metals in sea salt. I would indeed love to see more information on this one. If it's just evaporated sea water, shouldn't there be all kinds of nasty things in there? I use sea salt and now I wonder. AncientWolf ( talk) 22:42, 15 April 2009 (UTC)AncientWolf
'Table salt' generally contains an anti-caking agent - Sodium Hexflourite being one. These chemicals have a taste for those who can take them. As a lifelong disliker of 'table salt' the discovery of sea salt was a revalation. It does not have the bad taste of table salt. The distinction here is one of additives rather than the source of the salt. However it is a real one. December 2012.
With our oceans and seas so polluted, what does this do to salt that is harvested from the sea? Does anyone know what downers there might be to injesting sea salt? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.202.229.174 ( talk) 02:30, 18 April 2009 (UTC)
If sea salt is just dried-out, unpurified seawater from bays, and bays are constantly polluted by factories and ships going by ( Ship pollution), does sea salt contain all these pollutants, too? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.167.68.161 ( talk) 14:39, 23 October 2009 (UTC)
How "widely" could something possibly vary, that is over %99 the same thing?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 01:19, 17 November 2017 (UTC)
There is a "Composition" section as well as a picture of the composition at the top of the page. The text "Sea salt is primarily composed of the following ions" accompanies the section. Solids should not have ions. Liquids can have ions. The listed composition is the composition of salt water. Salt water is not sea salt. As salt water sun dries, the ions in it should bond and it'll become mostly NaCl (not Na and Cl separately, as many internet pages seem to list). I trust this page [1] which says the other stuff in sea salt is negligible and sea salt has almost the same NaCl by weight as table salt. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.227.39.116 ( talk) 20:36, 25 September 2010 (UTC)
The salt that is mined from the earth IS sea salt, it's just produced by natural methods and aged (for example, the Great Salt Lake's salt flats are the remnants of an inland sea. The sea was cut off from its water supply and exit to the oceans and evaporated. Just like you make "sea salt" only this occurred naturally (which is to say, without people present). All salt mines are merely dried up sea beds that were subducted by plate tectonics. The comment about minerals being "stripped out" of mined salt is hilarious. What purpose would that serve other than to increase the cost of production? Give me a break. Renglish ( talk) 18:08, 15 June 2011 (UTC)
Is the last sentence in the paragraph not contradicting the sentence before it?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gatheringwithin ( talk • contribs) 16:43, 27 June 2011 (UTC)
Section Composition: is the relative composition really by mass? Or is it by molar? -- Mortense ( talk) 18:22, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:Salt Farmers - Pak Thale-edit1.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on December 11, 2012. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2012-12-11. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! — howcheng { chat} 18:02, 10 December 2012 (UTC)
This article needs a component breakdown of the average concentration of the compounds in sea salt, such as:
x1% Sodium
x2% Chloride
x3% Calcium
x4% Potassium
etc. — Preceding
unsigned comment added by
Cloudswrest (
talk •
contribs)
17:41, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
In the very first paragraph of the lead we have "Generally more expensive than the more popular refined salt (table salt)..." In many parts of the world, including where I live, Australia, table salt IS sea salt. Almost all salt here and in many other places is produced by solar evaporation of sea water. So, contrasting sea salt with table salt is nonsensical. The article is obviously written from the perspective of somewhere in the world where the statement is true, in ignorance of what happens elsewhere, but we aren't told where that is. The places where the quote above makes sense need to be identified, and the truth told. I'd like to give the article a more global focus. HiLo48 ( talk) 08:26, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
It is all over the internet that almost all sea salt used in the US is made from San Fransisco bay water and there are multiple sources I have added for this. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 13:40, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
The sources clearly back up my edit.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 16:19, 17 October 2013 (UTC)
Please stop re-wording what I wrote, it is fine the way that I said it. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 23:44, 19 October 2013 (UTC)
The references say exactly what I wrote and that's the way it will stay. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 18:21, 21 October 2013 (UTC)
The reference says the San Fransisco bay sea salt works is the only one is the US. The sources also say that cargil and morton, the two biggest sea salt sellers in the US use salt from the San Fransisco bay.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 03:46, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
It is a important and interesting fact that should be included. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 05:03, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
It is not undue, it is a established fact backed up by multiple references. Morton and cargil are not only the largest producers of sea salt in America but also the world, particularly cargil. And they get all their sea salt from San Fransisco bay water. I will change the edit to reflect that.--
Tarhound21 (
talk)
20:22, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
The references clearly state the edit I made.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:38, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
You say "The Kitchen ref does not support the assertion either" but the kitchen reference clearly states "This is Cargill's only sea salt operation in the world, and in fact, the only solar sea salt production facility in the United States, period." Cargill is the largest producer of sea salt in the world, so clearly this back up my edit, not to mention the other references. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:24, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
What is wrong with the reference http://www.thekitchn.com/come-along-on-a-159478 it is neutral and backs up my edit. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:34, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
So, right up front, shouldn't it say if sea salt IS sodium chloride, or some other compound (like potassium chloride, e.g.)?? 141.158.64.226 ( talk) 21:45, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
It says "Sea salt is salt produced from the evaporation of seawater." It's not the seawater that evaporates. Just plain water evaporates from the seawater, leaving salt behind. I can't immediately see a good way to reword it, but invite suggestions please. HiLo48 ( talk) 22:47, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Sea_salt&action=historysubmit&diff=652816288&oldid=652814942 is a revert where, in my view, unsatisfactory material is introduced into the article (by an account with an obvious conflict of interest: https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Sea_salt&action=historysubmit&diff=652783116&oldid=636950048 ). I believe this material is unsatisfactory because:
I propose to restore the status quo. Pinkbeast ( talk) 15:02, 26 March 2015 (UTC)
FNH 200 Wiki Page Outline: Sea Salt (team 2)
Contents
1.History of Sea Salt 2.Components of Sea Salt
a.Chemical Composition b.Physical and Sensory Properties of Regional Salt
3.Modernization of Sea Salt Production
a.New Method of Manufacturing
4.Production of Iodized Sea Salt
a.Sea Salt Production by Reduction b.Quality Control of Salt
5.Types of Sea Salt
a.Low Sodium Sea Salt b.Umami Essence Sea Salt c.Himalayan Sea Salt
6.Uses of Sea Salt
a.Performance of Sea Salt b.Manufacture and Storage of Coffee oil coated Sea Salt c.Effect of Sea Salt on Beef Fat
Introduction
History of Sea Salt A brief overview of the discovery of sea salt and its early uses in preservation, cooking and medicine.
Chemical composition
Physical and Sensory Properties of Regional Salt:
This section looks at the physical and sensory profile of sea salt.
Though sea salts vary largely, their general composition is 98% NaCl and 2% of various minerals (generally magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium etc.)
Sea Salt Mining + Modernisation of Sea Salt
In our Wikipedia page, we will expand on the various methods of Sea Salt harvesting. Through further research, we hope to find the various types of Once sea salt has been retrieved from mines or oceans, there are three common methods used to harvest them: vacuum drying, sun drying and salt mining.
In vacuum drying, the solution of salt is washed with chemicals such as soda ash and cuastic soda. This results in the aggregation of minerals and salt; the water is then evaporated leaving a sea salt mixture behind.
The concept behind sun drying is that the heat and wind will slowly evaporate the water out of the sea salt, leaving a highly concentrated solution of sea salt. After some time, this salt would crystalize and be collected. Sun drying of sea salt was historically done in Gueranda, France along the Brittany Coast.
Quality Control of salt: A look at how the production of sea salt has evolved due to the greater demand for sea salt. As Sea Salt has become more mainstream and preferred to iodized salt, how have manufactures worked to supply the demand? What are the different techniques used to produce the different types of sea salt we find in grocery stores? How does local artisan sea salt differ to large scale manufactured sea salt?
Production of Iodized Sea Salt
Look at the iodine level in sea salt. Iodine is an essential nutrient for normal thyroid function, and not having enough iodine could cause endemic goitre. According to one study, sea salt contains far less iodine that iodized table salt.
manufactures worked to supply the demand? What are the different techniques used to produce the different types of sea salt we find in grocery stores? How does local artisan sea salt differ to large scale manufactured sea salt?
Types of Sea Salt
A look at different types of sea salt. Does the ocean or body of water affect the taste? Has sea salt become a regionalized cultural artifact? How are different salts produced, stored, sold?
Sea Salt vs. Table Salt? Any difference?
Table salt is missing the minerals that are found in Sea Salt which were likely evaporated from rapid heating of the salt solution.
Use of sea salt A look at the different uses of sea salt and how it has evolved through to modern times. It used to be a spice; now due to its preservational, tenderizing, flavour enhancing properties salt has become a staple ingredient in the Western Diet.
Bibliography
1. Drake, S., & Drake, M. (2010). Comparison Of Salty Taste And Time Intensity Of Sea And Land Salts From Around The World. Journal of Sensory Studies, 26(1), 25-34. Retrieved from:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00317.x/full
2.Marcone, Vella M. (2011). Physical and sensory properties of regional sea salts. Food Research International, 45(1), 415-421. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0963996911006363
3.Fischer, Peter W.F. & L’Abbe, Mary (1980). Iodine in iodized table salt and in sea salt. Canadian Institute for Food Science and Technology, 13(2), 103-104. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0315546380733278?np=y
4.Gao, Tian-Cheng & Cho, Jeong-Yong,etc (2014). Mineral-rich solar sea-salt generates less oxidative stress in rats than in mineral deficient salt. Food Science Biotechnology. 23(3), 951-956. Retrieved from:
http://link.springer.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/article/10.1007%2Fs10068-014-0128-y
5. Cheatham, Rachel (2014). No salt, low salt and sea salt! Prepared Foods. 183(4), 39-47. Retrieved from:
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/detail/detail?sid=2c8461d0-fb62-4f20-b523-3b2520c076c0%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4209&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=95605982&db=bth
Please, please, can whoever is editing in vast walls of ill-constructed text slow down? It would be much better to discuss proposed edits of this magnitude on the talk page - and to proofread them before doing that. Pinkbeast ( talk) 08:11, 24 March 2016 (UTC)
We would like to post the following information on the sea salt page. Feedback is welcome.
Modernization of Sea Salt Production
Once sea salt has been retrieved from mines or oceans, there are two common methods used to harvest them: solar evaporation and vacuum drying.
Commercial sea salt harvesting is a very extensive process which can take up to almost 5 years. Many small ponds are created and filled with seawater (salinity=3%); all of these ponds are connected through channels. [1] Through sun exposure and wind, the water begins to evaporate, leaving behind a salt water with 25% salinity. Once the sea salt has been crystallized, it is transported to a facility for washing. This method works best for locations with hot and dry climates so evaporation rates can be maximized. [2] In North America, San Francisco is a very popular location for solar evaporation ponds since the weather there is very windy.
In vacuum drying, the solution of salt is washed with chemicals such as soda ash and caustic soda. This results in the aggregation of minerals and salt; the water is then evaporated leaving a sea salt mixture behind. [3] This method of harvesting results in very high quality, fine sea salt.
Most sea salt washing facilities use a brine solution, which is essentially salt water, to rinse the crystallized sea salt. Brine solutions are ideal for this as they ensure the retention of salt. [4] JudyCChan ( talk) 21:05, 24 March 2016 (UTC)
References
Indeed. Depending on where, exactly, the salt is obtained, and how much it is processed, this "residue which is not sodium chloride" can contain charming things ranging from lead, cadmium, and mercury, to formaldehyde. Given the number of products on the market today touting "sea salt" in their ingredients, I recently contacted the FDA for more information.
This statement is bogus. There are no "FDA purity requirements" for, nor even an "FDA definition" of "sea salt".
Basically, when you buy something allegedly containing "sea salt", if the salt really is "sea salt" you stand a fair chance of getting toxic residue with the salt. On the other hand, if the salt has been processed to remove the residue, then what you are getting is . . . salt. Same old sodium chloride as comes from any source, and the "sea salt" you see on the package label is nothing but advertising hype.
Wikipedia should eschew quackery. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 ( talk) 22:20, 29 May 2018 (UTC)
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"Commercially available sea salts on the market today vary widely in their chemical composition. Although the principal component is sodium chloride, the remaining portion can range from less than 0.2 to 10% of other salts."
Two-tenths of a percent would seem to be likely. Table (sea) salt that is TEN PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF OTHER SALTS seems so unlikely, that I would ask for a reference. Maybe some low-sodium salt-blend with potassium-chloride would fit this. I can't imagine how something could be only %90 NaCl and still be called "Sea Salt". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 20:35, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
The referenced spec sheet contains NO INFORMATION regarding the preceding sentences. The entire paragraph should be stricken. It has no references and parts of it seem to contradict common sense. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 20:45, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
This article is or was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Lsalimbangon,
Liushiye,
Navarroguerra,
Megc2096.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 08:49, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 7 January 2020 and 15 April 2020. Further details are available
on the course page. Student editor(s):
Mscott55.
Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT ( talk) 08:49, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
There seems to be no reason to have this page. For one thing, sea salt is NOT sodium chloride (it contains sodium chloride). All of the information can be accomodated in the article salinity Marshman 00:40, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)
I agreed (in VFD -- disagreed with myself) that there would be value in keeping sea salt for this other information Marshman 07:03, 30 Jul 2003 (UTC)
I don't see the fuss about having a separate article on sea salt. It's a common item in supermarkets and it is useful to know about it's specific properties and which ones are facts rather than urban legends. -- Theorize ( talk) 06:03, 8 October 2008 (UTC)
Since sea salt is sometimes touted as a natural more healthy alternative to common table salt, it seems to me entirely appropriate to include a factual article about it. In my search to identify it's constituents, all the breakdowns I have seen are in terms of atomic composition as opposed to molecular composition. The latter would arguably be far more useful in determining any potential health benefits and in understanding the effect of sea salt on the human body. E.g, I believe one of sea salts molecular constituents is Magnesium Sulphate, a laxative. Emansnas ( talk) 05:57, 13 April 2009 (UTC)
I suggest this article is merged with the article " Edible salt". -- Eleassar777 11:56, 14 Mar 2005 (UTC)
There has also been a massive omission of Cayman Sea Salt.See caymanseasalt.com
I found this page by searching for "sea salt" in Wikipedia. So stop believing your suggestions are what's best for the readers. I never would have assumed to search for this information under "salinity", or even "edible salt", as Sea Salt is marketed and known by this name.
http://www2.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring02/001183excerpt.htm gets the whole cooking pasta issue wrong. You add salt after it boils, because salt water takes longer to boil, you add salt with the pasta, so that the saltiness cooks into the pasta, so that salt is more evenly distributed in the dish. So I don't trust the book entirely. Another important point here is that most salt used today is a bi-product of oil discovery and production, that's why salt is so cheap. mjolsnes Oct 2006
who knew so many people cared this much about salt?
The Taste section currently begins, "Its purported health benefits notwithstanding…". What purported health benefits are those? — mjb 04:10, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
"Its purported health benefits notwithstanding, gourmets believe sea salt to be superior to ordinary table salt."
This sentence references purported health benefits which are never discussed in the article.
I would be curious to see any info related to the impact of sea salt on hypertension as compared to regular salt's impact. There seems to be less Na per gram in sea salt, and Na is what is usually blamed for increasing blood pressure, but is there any evidence to say that sea salt is better for you? Tom Hubbard ( talk) 20:58, 22 January 2008 (UTC)
"According to The Mayo Clinic and Australian Professor Bruce Neal, the health consequences of ingesting sea salt or regular table salt are the same, as the content of sea salt is still mainly sodium chloride."
Does anybody else think this is one of the dumber statements on Wikipedia? That's like saying the health consequences of ingesting sea water or fresh water are the same, as the content of sea water is still mainly water. Or how about your latest pharmaceutical de jure is no better than a potato as its main ingredient is a starch bulking agent.
Cloudswrest (
talk)
19:04, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
May someone put this in the article? Although I'm not sure about the quality of this research:
"From the analysis carried out positive qualitative results (blue colour) were observed with all industrially iodated samples (which means they contain iodine), while sample H (the raw-pellet salt) did not show any iodine present. The raw-pellet salt (or sea salt, also called bay or solar salt) is produced from the evaporation of sea water which contains some small amount of iodine as iodide ion. It is likely that this form of iodine is lost during the evaporation process since iodide ion easily interconverts into molecular iodine (2I− ⇋ I2) which is highly volatile and sublimates under ordinary temperatures. This may account for the absence of iodine in the raw-pellet salt." [2] Mtlive ( talk) 19:41, 13 January 2019 (UTC)
References
Many consumer brands of sea salt are pure sodium chloride. It's just refined from seawater instead of rock salt. These brands sell a salt that tastes no different but has a different texture (usually coarser) than garden-variety "table salt". Buyers should check that what they're buying is unrefined seawater evaporate, if they really want the sea salt that doesn't taste like a purified chemical. That's what sodium chloride tastes like to me. 68.121.165.9 20:13, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
This raises a good point- what, exactly, is the "legal" definition of "sea salt". The reason I visited this page was to see what the FDA (or whomever) requires - Just like "organic" or "natural", these labels are getting harder to figure out! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.123.160.138 ( talk) 22:29, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
I have found no legal definition of sea salt, and my experience is that even reputable producers do not detail their product analysis, if they ever do one. There is little discussion of the metabolic or culinary effects of the ~15% by weight of 'other'
components of sea salt, and none about possible contaminants and organic matter (algy, diatoms, fungi, other microbes, and increasing pollutants) that must be in any sea water residue, and therefore certainly in at least some 'sea salt' labeled products.
Wikidity (
talk)
23:29, 7 May 2011 (UTC)
I'm a little concerned about this statement:
"However, unrefined sea salt contains many important minerals that regular iodized table salt does not contain."
Does it contain them in amounts that are significant to a person's health? If not, I think this assertion is somewhat misleading. I mean a Snickers bar contains important minerals too, but people don't really consider them especially healthy...
Forgot to sign! Actionsquid
okay well i gotta question does anyone know how it is transported? its homewrk that is the only reason im on this thing! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.238.114.153 ( talk) 21:59, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
Calcium and potassium are definitely important for health, but they're also easy to get from other sources. It'd be incorrect to say sea salt has no health benefit, but it'd be naive to think it's a significant one over, like, vitamin pills. —Preceding
unsigned comment added by
75.73.70.113 (
talk)
03:20, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
Magnesium is important to heart health, and it is the second most abundant electrolyte in sea salt. It is missing in refined salt. It is not easy to replace the 100's of milligrams of magnesium missing from a daily dose of refined salt. It would collectively cost Americans of the order of $10B annually for magnesium supplements.
Reliance on supplements to overcome dietary deficiencies of modern table salt is an expensive and non-standard approach to protecting our food supply. To avoid the need for iodine supplements, American law requires salt manufacturers to add iodine to their product. It compensates for deficiencies in salt processing. For thousands of years salt in food contained all the electrolytes in useful proportion, plus other minerals. If modern refining of salt removed some healthful components, the reasonable course of action would be to have them restored.
Also, the human body needs electrolytes in balance. It would not be surprising if the main dietary problem with salt today is that sodium ingestion without the proportional ingestion of magnesium, potassium and calcium creates electrolyte imbalances. Keeping the electrolytes in balance seems simplified by using a salt throughout the food industry that has these electrolytes in balance, though some research on this specific issue seems needed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.100.189.67 ( talk) 18:06, 11 September 2009 (UTC)
"Gourmets often believe sea salt to be better than ordinary table salt in taste and texture, though one cannot always taste the difference when dissolved." This sentence needs some rewording to sound less biased.
"However, unrefined sea salt contains many minerals that regular iodized table salt does not contain, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfate, and traces of others (including heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium, as well as strontium) citation needed." sounds really interesting. I would really like to know more about the possibility of heavy metals in sea salt, but I haven't been able to find anything conclusive with regular internet searches. Can someone contribute more information here? -- Theorize ( talk) 05:59, 8 October 2008 (UTC)
I found the page through a Google search on "Sea Salt" because I was curious about the potential for heavy metals in sea salt. I would indeed love to see more information on this one. If it's just evaporated sea water, shouldn't there be all kinds of nasty things in there? I use sea salt and now I wonder. AncientWolf ( talk) 22:42, 15 April 2009 (UTC)AncientWolf
'Table salt' generally contains an anti-caking agent - Sodium Hexflourite being one. These chemicals have a taste for those who can take them. As a lifelong disliker of 'table salt' the discovery of sea salt was a revalation. It does not have the bad taste of table salt. The distinction here is one of additives rather than the source of the salt. However it is a real one. December 2012.
With our oceans and seas so polluted, what does this do to salt that is harvested from the sea? Does anyone know what downers there might be to injesting sea salt? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.202.229.174 ( talk) 02:30, 18 April 2009 (UTC)
If sea salt is just dried-out, unpurified seawater from bays, and bays are constantly polluted by factories and ships going by ( Ship pollution), does sea salt contain all these pollutants, too? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.167.68.161 ( talk) 14:39, 23 October 2009 (UTC)
How "widely" could something possibly vary, that is over %99 the same thing?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 ( talk) 01:19, 17 November 2017 (UTC)
There is a "Composition" section as well as a picture of the composition at the top of the page. The text "Sea salt is primarily composed of the following ions" accompanies the section. Solids should not have ions. Liquids can have ions. The listed composition is the composition of salt water. Salt water is not sea salt. As salt water sun dries, the ions in it should bond and it'll become mostly NaCl (not Na and Cl separately, as many internet pages seem to list). I trust this page [1] which says the other stuff in sea salt is negligible and sea salt has almost the same NaCl by weight as table salt. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.227.39.116 ( talk) 20:36, 25 September 2010 (UTC)
The salt that is mined from the earth IS sea salt, it's just produced by natural methods and aged (for example, the Great Salt Lake's salt flats are the remnants of an inland sea. The sea was cut off from its water supply and exit to the oceans and evaporated. Just like you make "sea salt" only this occurred naturally (which is to say, without people present). All salt mines are merely dried up sea beds that were subducted by plate tectonics. The comment about minerals being "stripped out" of mined salt is hilarious. What purpose would that serve other than to increase the cost of production? Give me a break. Renglish ( talk) 18:08, 15 June 2011 (UTC)
Is the last sentence in the paragraph not contradicting the sentence before it?? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gatheringwithin ( talk • contribs) 16:43, 27 June 2011 (UTC)
Section Composition: is the relative composition really by mass? Or is it by molar? -- Mortense ( talk) 18:22, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
Hello! This is a note to let the editors of this article know that File:Salt Farmers - Pak Thale-edit1.jpg will be appearing as picture of the day on December 11, 2012. You can view and edit the POTD blurb at Template:POTD/2012-12-11. If this article needs any attention or maintenance, it would be preferable if that could be done before its appearance on the Main Page so Wikipedia doesn't look bad. :) Thanks! — howcheng { chat} 18:02, 10 December 2012 (UTC)
This article needs a component breakdown of the average concentration of the compounds in sea salt, such as:
x1% Sodium
x2% Chloride
x3% Calcium
x4% Potassium
etc. — Preceding
unsigned comment added by
Cloudswrest (
talk •
contribs)
17:41, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
In the very first paragraph of the lead we have "Generally more expensive than the more popular refined salt (table salt)..." In many parts of the world, including where I live, Australia, table salt IS sea salt. Almost all salt here and in many other places is produced by solar evaporation of sea water. So, contrasting sea salt with table salt is nonsensical. The article is obviously written from the perspective of somewhere in the world where the statement is true, in ignorance of what happens elsewhere, but we aren't told where that is. The places where the quote above makes sense need to be identified, and the truth told. I'd like to give the article a more global focus. HiLo48 ( talk) 08:26, 3 October 2013 (UTC)
It is all over the internet that almost all sea salt used in the US is made from San Fransisco bay water and there are multiple sources I have added for this. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 13:40, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
The sources clearly back up my edit.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 16:19, 17 October 2013 (UTC)
Please stop re-wording what I wrote, it is fine the way that I said it. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 23:44, 19 October 2013 (UTC)
The references say exactly what I wrote and that's the way it will stay. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 18:21, 21 October 2013 (UTC)
The reference says the San Fransisco bay sea salt works is the only one is the US. The sources also say that cargil and morton, the two biggest sea salt sellers in the US use salt from the San Fransisco bay.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 03:46, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
It is a important and interesting fact that should be included. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 05:03, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
It is not undue, it is a established fact backed up by multiple references. Morton and cargil are not only the largest producers of sea salt in America but also the world, particularly cargil. And they get all their sea salt from San Fransisco bay water. I will change the edit to reflect that.--
Tarhound21 (
talk)
20:22, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
The references clearly state the edit I made.-- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:38, 1 November 2013 (UTC)
You say "The Kitchen ref does not support the assertion either" but the kitchen reference clearly states "This is Cargill's only sea salt operation in the world, and in fact, the only solar sea salt production facility in the United States, period." Cargill is the largest producer of sea salt in the world, so clearly this back up my edit, not to mention the other references. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:24, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
What is wrong with the reference http://www.thekitchn.com/come-along-on-a-159478 it is neutral and backs up my edit. -- Tarhound21 ( talk) 15:34, 2 November 2013 (UTC)
So, right up front, shouldn't it say if sea salt IS sodium chloride, or some other compound (like potassium chloride, e.g.)?? 141.158.64.226 ( talk) 21:45, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
It says "Sea salt is salt produced from the evaporation of seawater." It's not the seawater that evaporates. Just plain water evaporates from the seawater, leaving salt behind. I can't immediately see a good way to reword it, but invite suggestions please. HiLo48 ( talk) 22:47, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Sea_salt&action=historysubmit&diff=652816288&oldid=652814942 is a revert where, in my view, unsatisfactory material is introduced into the article (by an account with an obvious conflict of interest: https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Sea_salt&action=historysubmit&diff=652783116&oldid=636950048 ). I believe this material is unsatisfactory because:
I propose to restore the status quo. Pinkbeast ( talk) 15:02, 26 March 2015 (UTC)
FNH 200 Wiki Page Outline: Sea Salt (team 2)
Contents
1.History of Sea Salt 2.Components of Sea Salt
a.Chemical Composition b.Physical and Sensory Properties of Regional Salt
3.Modernization of Sea Salt Production
a.New Method of Manufacturing
4.Production of Iodized Sea Salt
a.Sea Salt Production by Reduction b.Quality Control of Salt
5.Types of Sea Salt
a.Low Sodium Sea Salt b.Umami Essence Sea Salt c.Himalayan Sea Salt
6.Uses of Sea Salt
a.Performance of Sea Salt b.Manufacture and Storage of Coffee oil coated Sea Salt c.Effect of Sea Salt on Beef Fat
Introduction
History of Sea Salt A brief overview of the discovery of sea salt and its early uses in preservation, cooking and medicine.
Chemical composition
Physical and Sensory Properties of Regional Salt:
This section looks at the physical and sensory profile of sea salt.
Though sea salts vary largely, their general composition is 98% NaCl and 2% of various minerals (generally magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium etc.)
Sea Salt Mining + Modernisation of Sea Salt
In our Wikipedia page, we will expand on the various methods of Sea Salt harvesting. Through further research, we hope to find the various types of Once sea salt has been retrieved from mines or oceans, there are three common methods used to harvest them: vacuum drying, sun drying and salt mining.
In vacuum drying, the solution of salt is washed with chemicals such as soda ash and cuastic soda. This results in the aggregation of minerals and salt; the water is then evaporated leaving a sea salt mixture behind.
The concept behind sun drying is that the heat and wind will slowly evaporate the water out of the sea salt, leaving a highly concentrated solution of sea salt. After some time, this salt would crystalize and be collected. Sun drying of sea salt was historically done in Gueranda, France along the Brittany Coast.
Quality Control of salt: A look at how the production of sea salt has evolved due to the greater demand for sea salt. As Sea Salt has become more mainstream and preferred to iodized salt, how have manufactures worked to supply the demand? What are the different techniques used to produce the different types of sea salt we find in grocery stores? How does local artisan sea salt differ to large scale manufactured sea salt?
Production of Iodized Sea Salt
Look at the iodine level in sea salt. Iodine is an essential nutrient for normal thyroid function, and not having enough iodine could cause endemic goitre. According to one study, sea salt contains far less iodine that iodized table salt.
manufactures worked to supply the demand? What are the different techniques used to produce the different types of sea salt we find in grocery stores? How does local artisan sea salt differ to large scale manufactured sea salt?
Types of Sea Salt
A look at different types of sea salt. Does the ocean or body of water affect the taste? Has sea salt become a regionalized cultural artifact? How are different salts produced, stored, sold?
Sea Salt vs. Table Salt? Any difference?
Table salt is missing the minerals that are found in Sea Salt which were likely evaporated from rapid heating of the salt solution.
Use of sea salt A look at the different uses of sea salt and how it has evolved through to modern times. It used to be a spice; now due to its preservational, tenderizing, flavour enhancing properties salt has become a staple ingredient in the Western Diet.
Bibliography
1. Drake, S., & Drake, M. (2010). Comparison Of Salty Taste And Time Intensity Of Sea And Land Salts From Around The World. Journal of Sensory Studies, 26(1), 25-34. Retrieved from:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00317.x/full
2.Marcone, Vella M. (2011). Physical and sensory properties of regional sea salts. Food Research International, 45(1), 415-421. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0963996911006363
3.Fischer, Peter W.F. & L’Abbe, Mary (1980). Iodine in iodized table salt and in sea salt. Canadian Institute for Food Science and Technology, 13(2), 103-104. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/science/article/pii/S0315546380733278?np=y
4.Gao, Tian-Cheng & Cho, Jeong-Yong,etc (2014). Mineral-rich solar sea-salt generates less oxidative stress in rats than in mineral deficient salt. Food Science Biotechnology. 23(3), 951-956. Retrieved from:
http://link.springer.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/article/10.1007%2Fs10068-014-0128-y
5. Cheatham, Rachel (2014). No salt, low salt and sea salt! Prepared Foods. 183(4), 39-47. Retrieved from:
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/detail/detail?sid=2c8461d0-fb62-4f20-b523-3b2520c076c0%40sessionmgr4003&vid=0&hid=4209&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=95605982&db=bth
Please, please, can whoever is editing in vast walls of ill-constructed text slow down? It would be much better to discuss proposed edits of this magnitude on the talk page - and to proofread them before doing that. Pinkbeast ( talk) 08:11, 24 March 2016 (UTC)
We would like to post the following information on the sea salt page. Feedback is welcome.
Modernization of Sea Salt Production
Once sea salt has been retrieved from mines or oceans, there are two common methods used to harvest them: solar evaporation and vacuum drying.
Commercial sea salt harvesting is a very extensive process which can take up to almost 5 years. Many small ponds are created and filled with seawater (salinity=3%); all of these ponds are connected through channels. [1] Through sun exposure and wind, the water begins to evaporate, leaving behind a salt water with 25% salinity. Once the sea salt has been crystallized, it is transported to a facility for washing. This method works best for locations with hot and dry climates so evaporation rates can be maximized. [2] In North America, San Francisco is a very popular location for solar evaporation ponds since the weather there is very windy.
In vacuum drying, the solution of salt is washed with chemicals such as soda ash and caustic soda. This results in the aggregation of minerals and salt; the water is then evaporated leaving a sea salt mixture behind. [3] This method of harvesting results in very high quality, fine sea salt.
Most sea salt washing facilities use a brine solution, which is essentially salt water, to rinse the crystallized sea salt. Brine solutions are ideal for this as they ensure the retention of salt. [4] JudyCChan ( talk) 21:05, 24 March 2016 (UTC)
References
Indeed. Depending on where, exactly, the salt is obtained, and how much it is processed, this "residue which is not sodium chloride" can contain charming things ranging from lead, cadmium, and mercury, to formaldehyde. Given the number of products on the market today touting "sea salt" in their ingredients, I recently contacted the FDA for more information.
This statement is bogus. There are no "FDA purity requirements" for, nor even an "FDA definition" of "sea salt".
Basically, when you buy something allegedly containing "sea salt", if the salt really is "sea salt" you stand a fair chance of getting toxic residue with the salt. On the other hand, if the salt has been processed to remove the residue, then what you are getting is . . . salt. Same old sodium chloride as comes from any source, and the "sea salt" you see on the package label is nothing but advertising hype.
Wikipedia should eschew quackery. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.249 ( talk) 22:20, 29 May 2018 (UTC)